Selecting device

ABSTRACT

A selecting device comprises a housing having a base stand part combined therewith as one unit to house two cylinders aligned by a suspension alignment rod in the upper part and two off bearing channel units in the lower base stand part. First and second cylinders are coaxially positioned in closely spaced relation, one above the other. Each of the cylinders is rotatably mounted for free rotation about its axis. Each of the cylinders has a plurality of ducts formed therethrough, connecting holes in the top of each cylinder to holes in the bottom of each cylinder and spaced around the periphery thereof. No upper hole is connected to the lower hole directly below it. A plurality of channels in the two off bearing units are provided at the bottom of the housing in the base stand part, each extending from the position of a corresponding hole in the shelf of the base stand part below the duct of the second cylinder to a marked position at the front of the base stand part of the housing. A ball is adapted to be dropped through any one of the holes in the top of the housing into the randomly indexed duct of the first cylinder. The ball passes through the duct of the first cylinder into a randomly indexed duct of the second cylinder, under the duct of the first cylinder. The ball then passes through the duct of the second cylinder and through the hole in the shelf of the base stand part underlying the duct of the second cylinder and is received by one of the two off bearing channel units under the holes in the shelf of the base stand part. The off bearing channel units convert the circular fixed number arrangement of the cylinder ducts and the holes in the shelf of the base stand part to a straight line arrangement at the lower front of the base stand part, resulting in another number being the end result.

Unite States Patent [191 Averette 1 SELECTING DEVICE Beauford E.Averette, Vancouver, Wash.

[73] Assignee: The Raymond Lee Organization,

Inc., New York, NY. a part interest [22] Filed: Mar. 7, 1974 [21] Appl.No.: 448,902

[75] Inventor:

[52] U.S. Cl. 273/138 R; 273/120 R [51] Int. Cl. A63F 7/02 [58] Field ofSearch 273/138 R, 138 A, 120 R, 273/120 A, 142 11,142 HA, 144 R, 144 A,

144 B, 139, 115,116,117, 123 R, 123 A,

126 R, 126 A, 130 A, 130 C, 131 AC, 134

GB, 134 GP, 153 R, 153 S, 155; 35/2, 3, 4, 74

Primary Examiner-Richard J. Apley Assistant ExaminerArnold Kramer Attoney, Agent, or Firm-Daniel Jay Tick [57] ABSTRACT A selecting devicecomprises a housing having a base July 22, 1975 stand part combinedtherewith as one unit to house two cylinders aligned by a suspensionalignment rod in the upper part and two off bearing channel units in thelower base stand part. First and second clinders are coaxiallypositioned in closely spaced relation, one above the other. Each of thecylinders is rotatably mounted for free rotation about its axis. Each ofthe cylinders has a plurality of ducts formed therethrough. connectingholes in the top of each cylinder to holes in the bottom of eachcylinder and spaced around the periphery thereof. No upper hole isconnected to the lower hole directly below it. A plurality of channelsin the two off bearing units are provided at the bottom of the housingin the base stand part, each extending from the position of acorresponding hole in the shelf of the base stand part below the duct ofthe second cylinder to a marked position at the front of the base standpart of the housing. A ball is adapted to be dropped through any one ofthe holes in the top of the housing into the randomly indexed duct ofthe first cylinder. The ball passes through the duct of the firstcylinder into a randomly indexed duct of the second cylinder, under theduct of the first cylinder. The ball then passes through the duct of thesecond cylinder andthrough the hole in the shelf of the base stand partunderlying the duct of the second cylinder and is received by one of thetwo off bearing channel units under the holes in the shelf of the basestand part. The off bearing channel units convert the circular fixednumber arrangement of the cylinder ducts and the holes in the shelf ofthe base stand part to a straight line arrangement at the lower front ofthe base stand part, resulting in another number being the end result.

5 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures SELECTING DEVICE DESCRIPTION OF THEINVENTION:

The present invention relates to a selecting device.

Objects of the invention are to provide a selecting device which is usedwith facility and convenience by children and. adults and which has agreat number of recreational game functions and operations, therebyproviding recreation, amusement, interest and excitement.

In order that the invention may be readily carried into effect, it willnow be described with reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

,.FIG. 1 is a top view of an embodiment of the select ing device of theinvention;

FIG. 2 is a side view, partly in section, of the embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the selecting device of the embodimentsof FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is a top view of the off bearing channel unit for the holes 1 4and 13 16 located under the front half of the cylinder and beneath theshelf of the base stand part of the selecting device and is a view ofthe embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 3, taken in a selected horizontal plane;

FIG. 5 is a side view of the base stand part of FIG. 4, taken in aselected vertical plane;

FIG. 6 is, a top view of the off bearing channel unit for the holes 5 12located at the back of the housing beneath the shelf of the base standpart of the selecting device and is a view of the embodiment of FIGS. 1and 3, taken in a selected horizontal plane; and

FIG. 7 is a side view, partly in section, of the base stand part, takenin another vertical plane.

In the FIGS., the same components are identified by the same referencenumerals.

The selecting device of the invention comprises a housing 1 having abase stand part 2 combined with the housing as one unit to house twocylinders 3 and 4. The cylinders 3 and 4 are aligned by a suspensionalignment rod 5 in the upper part 1 of the unit. The lower, or basestand, part 2 of the unit houses two off bearing channel units, notnumbered but shown in the lower portion of FIGS. 5 and 7. The brokenline circle in each of FIGS. 4 and 6 is the head of the suspensionalignment rod 5.

The sixteen small solid circles inside the larger dotted circle are theholes in the top of the housing. The dotted circle represents the top ofthe upper cylinder 3 which is positioned directly below the top of thehousing with all sixteen holes being aligned by the suspension alignmentrod. The head of the rod is above the housing and is represented by thesolid line circle in the center of the larger dotted circle.

The first cylinder 3 and the second cylinder 4 (FIGS. 2 and 3) arecoaxially positioned in closely spaced relation, one above the other.Each of the cylinders 3 and 4 is rotatably mounted for free rotationabout its axis. The axes of the cylinders are coaxial with that of thesuspension alignment rod 5 (FIGS. 2 and 3), affixed in the housing 1.The cylinder 3 is suspended on and aligned by the suspension alignmentrod 5. The cylinder 4 is aligned by the suspension alignment rod 5, butrests on a bearing between it and the shelf of the base stand part.-

Each of the cylinders 3 and 4 has 16 ducts, which are not numbered onthe drawings but which align with the 16 holes in the top of the housing1 and the shelf of the base stand part 2. The reference numerals 6, 7, 8and 6', 7", 8' represent some of the sixteen holes in the top of thehousing and the shelf of the base stand part. The ducts inside thecylinders are not shown in order to maintain the clarity ofillustration, since the ducts wander from one place at the top to aquite different place at the bottom. The ducts, therefore, coincide withthe holes 6, 7, 8, and so on, and 6', 7', 8', and so on, (FIGS. 1, 2 and3) and substantially vertically connect the sixteen holes in the top ofeach cylinder to the sixteen holes at the bottom of each cylinder andspaced around the periphery thereof. No upper hole is connected to thelower hole directly below it. The cylinders and rod have an axis 9 (FIG.1).

A plurality of channels 10, 11, 12, and so on (FIGS. 1, 3, 4 and 6) areprovided in two off bearing channel units of eight channels each, underthe shelf of the base stand part 2. Each of the channels 10, 11, 12, andso on, extends from a hole 6', 7, 8, and so on, inthe shelf of the basestand part 2 and a corresponding duct in the lower cylinder 4 to amarked position at the from 3 (FIGS. 1 to 7) of the base stand part 2 ofthe housing.

The suspension alignment rod 5 has a large head which rests on the topof the housing with the rod portion passing through a small hole in thetop of the housing. The rod 5 keeps all the holes and ductsin properalignment. The first cylinder 3 is suspended on the rod 5. The second orlower cylinder 4 rests on a bearing on the shelf of the base stand part,as shown. I

The end result positions of the cylinder 4 are converted by the offbearing channel units shown in FIGS. 5 and 7 after the ball passesthrough the hole in the shelf of the base stand part 2 into the channelof the off bearing channel unit. The ball comprises steel, glass,plastic, or any other suitable material. The conversion of the duct andcorresponding hole number to end result channel number, as shown in FIG.4, is 1 to 8, 2 to 7, 3 to 6, 4 to 5, 13 to 12, 14 to 11, 15 to 10, 16to 9. The end result conversion of the duct and corresponding holenumber to end result channel number, as shown in FIG. 6, is 5 to l, 6 to2, 7 to 3, 8 to 4, 9 to 13, 10 to 14, 11 to 15, 12 to 16. This providesone more scrambling and also facilitates construction.

The top of the housing is solid except for the small hole that thesuspension alignment rod 5 passes through and the sixteen small holesarranged in a circle, through which the ball is dropped, under which thecylinders are aligned, and with which the sixteen holes in the shelf ofthe base stand part, on which the lower cylinder 4 rests, are aligned.

Only the end result of the off bearing channel units are shown. FIGS. 6and 7 show how the off bearing channel for the holes 5 12 slants fromback to front and how it is curved to go around the off bearing channelunit for holes 1 4 and 13 16, shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. The two offbearing units interlock, so to speak, so that there is a clean orderlyarrangement of channels in the base stand part. The lower part of FIG. 2shows how the two off bearing channel units interlock and slope so thatthey both deliver the ball to the front 13 of the lower case on an equallevel.

The small dotted circle around the bottom of the suspension alignmentrod 5 is the bearing between the lower cylinder 4 and the shelf of thebase stand part.

The ball (not shown in the FIGS.) is adapted to be dropped through ahole in the top of the housing 1 into a corresponding random duct 6, 7,8, and so on, of the first cylinder 3. The ball passes through the ductof the first cylinder 3 into a random duct of the second cylinder 4under the duct of the first cylinder, through the corresponding hole 6',7', 8' in the shelf of the base stand part, under the duct of the secondcylinder into the channel 10, ll, 12, and so on, which also converts thenumber to that of the marked position on the front of the base standpart 13.

FIG. shows the holes in the shelf of the base stand part on which thelower cylinder 4 rests and the off bearing channel unit for the holes 14 and 13 l6 located under the front half of the cylinder and under theshelf of the base stand part.

FIG. 7 shows the holes in the shelf of the base stand part on which thelower cylinder 4 rests and the off bearing channel unit for the holes 512 located under the back half of the cylinder circle and under theshelf of the base stand part.

A pair of friction stop indexing units 14 and 15 (FIG. 2) are provided.Each of the friction stop indexing units 14 and 15 is mounted in thehousing in operative proximity with a corresponding one of the cylinders3 and 4 to stop and align the corresponding cylinder an undeterminedperiod of time after it is rotated about its axis by a finger of aplayer placed through a rotation hole shown, but not numericallydesignated, in the FIGS. located in the back of the housingapproximately two inches below the friction stop indexing unit, prior tothe dropping of the ball.

The friction stop indexing units 14 and 15 keep the cylinders 3 and 4aligned with the holes 6, 7, 8 and 6', 7 8, respectively, in the top andshelf of the base stand part. The indentations in the cylinder wallsthat the friction stop indexing units stop in to align the cylinders arenot all shown. Only the indentation in which the friction stop indexingunit has come to rest is shown in the FIGS.

The rotation holes providing access to rotate the cylinders are shown inthe back of the housing, and are approximately two inches below thefriction stop indexing units.

The selectiing device of the invention is used to provide random numbersfrom 1 to 16 as an end result.

The selecting device of the invention operates as follows. A number isselected from 1 16 by use of a 16 position spinner selector. The firstcylinder 3 is rotated in either direction by placing a finger throughthe rotation hole located in the back of the housing approximately twoinches below the friction stop indexing units 14 and 15. The firstcylinder 3 is permitted to stop by friction and be aligned. The ball isthen dropped through the selected hole in the top of the housing. Theball enters the duct directly below it in the top of the first cylinder3. The number of the duct may or may not be the same.

The ball comes out of the bottom of the first cylinder 3 and goes intothe duct directly below it in the top of the second cylinder 4. The ballcomes out of the second cylinder 4 and goes through a hole in the shelfof the base stand part 2, where it enters a channel of one of the twooff bearing channel units which carries it to the lower front part 13 ofthe base stand part 2. The ball is simultaneously converting thecircular fixed number arrangement of the off bearing channel units to astraight line arrangement at the lower front part 13 of the base standpart 2. That is,

Circular number: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9,

10, ll, l2; l3, l4, l5, 16 Straight line arrangement No; 8,7, 6, 5, l,2, 3, 4, 13

14,15, l6,12,ll, l0, 9

The numbers across the top of Chart A, the cylinder 3 and the Chart B,the cylinder 4, represent the fixed top hole positions in the housing.The left hand row of numbers represents the 16 variable positions thatthe first cylinder 3 and the second cylinder 4 may take on under thefixed top positions. The ducts of the cylinders, which represent theleft hand row or numbers, are constants of the cylinder when it isconsidered as a separate unit. Once either cylinder is rotated from itsset position of its number 1 duct under the number 1 hole in the top ofthe housing, the cylinders numbers become variable. The figures in thebody of the chart are the fixed position end results of the ball passingonly through the cylinder 3, the Chart A or the cylinder 4, the Chart B.The end result of the upper cylinder 3 is the fixed starting positionfor the lower cylinder 4.

An example may be illustrated via the cylinder charts. The spinnerselector is spun and the number 12 is selected. The upper cylinder 3 isrotated in either direction. Since the cylinders are totally enclosed,no one can see on what number it stops. It is assumed that the cylinder3 stops with its number 4 under the number 12 fixed top hole position.The lower cylinder 4 is rotated and stops. Assume that it stops with itsnumber 7 hole under the fixed top hole position number 14.

The ball is dropped into the fixed top hole position number 12. Thenumber 12 in the row across the top of the Chart A. The number 4 in theleft hand column of the Chart A represents the position of the uppercylinder 3 under the number 12 fixed top hole position. The fixed tophole position number is always used as the reference point for each ofthe 16 variable positions of the cylinder that are listed in the lefthand column. The ball goes through the fixed top hole'position number 12and drops into the number 4 hole at the top of the upper cylinder 3which is directly under the fixed top hole position number 12 and comesout of the upper cylinder 3 at the fixed top hole position number 14.

If an imaginary line is drawn on the Chart A from the number 4 in theleft hand column across the page and another line is drawn down the pagefrom the fixed top hole position number 12 at the top of the chart, thenumber 14 is found where the two lines intersect. This is the fixed tophole position where the ball comes out of cylinder 3. The ball entersthe lower cylinder 4 at the fixed top hole position number 14, which isthe cylinder 4 hole number 7, as in the example. The end result of thecylinder 4 is the fixed top hole position number 4, as seen in the ChartB. If one comes across from the number 7 and down from the number 14,the number 4 is at the intersecting point.

The ball then passes through the number 4 fixed hole position in theshelf of the base stand part 2 and enters the off bearing channel unit,channel number 4, which is a circular position, and is converted to thestraight line arrangement number 5 by the time it stops against theclear plastic front plate 13 (FIG. 4).

The selecting device can be a family game at home. The device is usedthe same as a pair of dice to develop games within itself. It can beusedfor games of speed by children too young to understand variousscoring games. They both drop a ball in a different hole in the top ofthe housing at the same time and one will come out and hit the clearplastic end plate 13 first.

Players can alternate turns with any number of players to see who canget all 16 numbers first in any order in the game Speedster. A variationof this is Rotation, where each player tries to get all 16 numbers inconsecutive order from 1 to 16.

Agitation is a game that can be played by four players as two teams orit can be played by any number of players as individuals. Playersalternate turns as either Even or Odd number players. If an Odd playergets an Odd number, he gets points.

The cylinders 3 and 4 are rotated and another player gets a turn. Astarting hole is selected and the ball is dropped. If the Even playergets an Even number, he gets 10 points. If he gets an Odd number, he hasthe choice of subtracting 5 points from any Odd players score or tryingagain. On his second try, which starts with a new starting hole beingselected and the cylinders again being rotated, he gets 10 points for anEven number. If he gets an Odd number, he has to subtract 10 points fromhis own score. The opposite applies to an Odd player if he gets an Evennumber and takes a second try. A player thus has the possibility ofgaining 5 or 10 points on his opponent or losing 10 points to him.Eventually one player will reach 100 points and win.

A person familiar with gamesmanship may develop many games with theselecting device of the invention.

The size of the unit depends on whether it has the full 16 ductcylinders and the method of construction.

The cylinders are built in accordance with the most practical andeconomical way to produce them. Each cylinder unit might possibly bemade in one or two solid parts by modem plastic equipment.

The upper cylinder 3 is suspended on the suspension alignment rod 5.This permits the lower cylinder 4 to turn freely and independently onthe bearing between it and the shelf of the base stand part 2, with thesuspension alignment rod 5 as its axis. Each cylinder is reversible andinterchangeable, so that other new number combinations can be obtained.Other cylinders with other duct arrangements may be substituted for theoriginals. All that is necessary to change a cylinder is to. remove thetop of the housing 1. After the top is opened, the cylinder 3 isextracted from the housing and the suspension alignment rod 5 isextracted from the cylinder 4. The cylinder 4 is then free to bereversed or removed. To reverse or remove the cylinder 3 from thesuspension alignment rod 5, the unit extracted from the housing ispositioned upside down and the keeper pin is removed from the suspensionalignment rod. The cylinder 3 is then ready to be removed and replacedor reversed. The opposite procedure is used to replace the extractedcylinder.

The 16 upper and lower holes in the cylinders are aligned perfectly,with the 16 holes in the stationary top of the housing 1 and the shelfof the base part 2 by means of the suspension centering rod 5 and thefriction stop indexing units 14 and 15.

No duct connects an upper hole of a cylinder to the hole directly belowit.

The Charts A and B show the result of using each cylinder in all itspositions in relation to the number of fixed top hole position. Thecombination provided for the duct system of each of the cylinders doesnot provide an absolutely perfect random selection of each number from 1to 16 at every position. This is mathematically impossible, because notop hole in the cylinder is connected directly to the corresponding holein the bottom of the cylinder. This is explained with reference to theChart A.

As seen in the Chart A, when the number 1 hole of the cylinder, in theleft hand column, is under the fixed top hole position number 1 of thetop row, the result is number 9. The same result is obtained if thenumber 1 1 hole of the cylinder is positioned under the fixed top holeposition number 1. Again, the result is number 9. The number 1 is neverthe result when the number 1 of the cylinder 3 is positioned under thenumber 1 fixed top hole position. Consideration of the second verticalrow of numbers provides verification of the example and foregoingexplanation. This means that some other number must be obtained.Therefore, in each row of numbers, the result of two like numbers beingunder each other will not be an identical number. When the number 2 ofthe cylinder 3 is under the fixed top hole position number 2, the resultnumber will not be 2. It turns out to be 15 and the number 10 isduplicated to replace the number 2 that cant be used. This is true allacross the Charts. Both the Charts A and B will show the same thinghappening every time.

The device could be made completely out of clear plastic so that peoplecould see the ball travel its winding course from top to finish.

CHART A CHART FOR FIRST CYLINDER 3 Top row of numbers represents fixedpositions of Top 1 2 3 4 5 l 9 l3 l6 5 l5 2 l2 l5 4 l4 l0 3 l4 3 l3 9 84 2 l2 8 7 4 5 ll 7 6 3 l4 6 6 5 2 l3 9 7 4 1 l2 8 l3 8 16 ll 7 12 l 9l0 6 ll l6 l2 l0 5 l0 l5 ll 3 ll 9 l4 l0 2 7 l2 l3 9 l 6 ll 13 8 l6 5 l0l3 l4 l5 4 9 l2 l6 l5 3 8 ll 15 2 l6 7 l0 l4 1 6 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 1415 16 11 10 7 2 14 3 8 4 12 1 6 9 6 1 13 2 7 3 11 16 5 8 5 16 12 1 6 210 1s 4 7 11 15 11 16 5 1 9 14 3 6 10 13 10 15 4 16 s 13 2 5 9 12 1 14 315 7 12 1 4 8 11 16 10 2 14 6 11 16 3 7 10 15 9 5 13 5 10 15 2 6 9 14 84 3 4 9 14 1 5 8 13 7 3 2 15 8 13 16 4 7 12 6 2 1 l4 9 12 15 3 6 11 5 116 13 8 4 14 2 5 10 4 16 15 12 7 3 8 1 4 9 3 15 14 11 6 2 7 12 3 8 2 1413 10 5 1 6 11 7 7 1 13 12 9 4 16 5 10 6 14 16 12 11 8 3 15 4 9 5 13 2interior numbers represent fixed position for end at fits! cylinder 3and starting fixed flllinbers for second cylinder 4.

CHART B CHART FOR SECOND CYLINDER 4 Top row of numbers represents fixedpositions of top I 2 3 4 .5 6 7 8 9 II) ll l2 13 I4 15 I6 I 8 l2 I5 I I37 6 l 3 I6 I4 II 9 2 4 2 Il I4 9 I2 6 5 4 l6 2 l5 13 I0 8 I 3 7 3 I3 8II 5 4 3 I5 I I4 l2 9 7 I6 2 6 IO 4 7 IO 4 3 2 I4 I6 I3 II 8 6 I5 I 5 9I2 5 9 3 2 I I3 I5 l2 II) 7 5 I4 I6 '4 8 II 6 6 2 I l6 I2 14 II 9 6 4 I3I5 3 7 IO 5 8 7 I6 I5 II I3 IO 8 5 3 I2 I4 2 6 9 4 7 I 8 I4 I() I2 9 7 42 II I3 I 5 X 3 6 16 I5 9 9 II 8 6 3 I IO 12 I6 4 7 2 5 l5 l4 I3 l0 l0 75 2 l6 9 II 3 6 I 4 l4 13 I2 8 II 6 4 I I5 8 IO I4 2 5 I6 3 I3 III II 79 I2 3 I6 14 7 9 I3 I 4 I5 2 12 II IO 6 8 5 I3 I5 I3 6 8 I2 l6 3 I4 I IIIO 9 5 7 4 2 I4 l'l 5 7 II 15 2 I3 I6 IO 9 8 4 6 3 I I4 15 4 6 IO 14 I12 I5 9 8 7 3 5 2 I6 I3 II I6 5 9 I3 I6 ll I4 8 7 6 2 4 I I5 12 I0 3Interior numbers represent fixed positions for end of second cylinder46nd starting fixed numbers for the base stand part 2.

While the invention has been described by means of a specific exampleand in a specific embodiment, I do not wish to be limited thereto, forobvious modifications will occur to those skilled in the art withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A playing element drop chance selecting device, comprising a basesupporting an upstanding closed housing;

a plurality of substantially coaxially aligned upstanding cylindersmounted within the housing, each of the cylinders being independentlyrotatably mounted for rotation about its axis;

a plurality of substantially vertically aligned holes through the topand bottom ends of the housing, the holes being substantiallyequianguarly arranged in a circular array;

' means in the housing whereby the cylinders may be individuallyrotated;

index means for each of the cylinders, each of the cylinders having aplurality of openings in the top and bottom surfaces thereofcorresponding to the vertically aligned holes in the housing at anyindexed position of the cylinders;

a plurality of ducts in each of the cylinders connecting the top andbottom openings of each respective cylinder, with no duct connecting thetop opening of a cylinder to the bottom opening positioned directlybelow it; plurality of channels in the base, one end of each channelunderlying a respective hole in the bottom of the housing; and

ing it passes into a duct of the upper one of the cylina playing elementadapted to be dropped through any one of the top housing holes afterthecylinders have been rotated and indexed wherebytthe discharge of theplaying element into one ofthe underlying channels is dependent upon itsgravity travel through the ducts of the cylinders as chance indexed withrespect to each other.

2. A playing element drop chance selecting device as claimed in claim 1,wherein the playing element is a ball.

3. A playing element drop chance selecting device as claimed in claim 1,wherein the index means for each cylinder comprises a friction stopindexing unit in operative proximity with indentations in the cylinderfor stopping'and aligning any of the openings of the cylinder with anyof the holes in the top of the housing.

4. A playing element drop chance selecting device as claimed in claim 1,the rotatable mounting comprising a suspension alignment rod mounted inthe housing, and wherein two of said cylinders are rotatably mounted onthe. rod in the housing.

5. A playing element drop chance selecting device as claimed in claim 4,wherein when the playing element is dropped into any of the holes in thetop of the housders randomly indexed with respect thereto, and throughthis duct into the duct of the lower one of the cylinders randomlyindexed with respect thereto, and through the duct of the lower one ofthe cylinders to exit through the hole therebelow in the bottom of thehousing and into its associated channel in the base.

1. A playing element drop chance selecting device, comprising a basesupporting an upstanding closed housing; a plurality of substantiallycoaxially aligned upstanding cylinders mounted within the housing, eachof the cylinders being independently rotatably mounted for rotationabout its axis; a plurality of substantially vertically aligned holesthrough the top and bottom ends of the housing, the holes beingsubstantially equianguarly arranged in a circular array; means in thehousing whereby the cylinders may be individually rotated; index meansfor each of the cylinders, each of the cylinders having a plurality ofopenings in the top and bottom surfaces thereof corresponding to thevertically aligned holes in the housing at any indexed position of thecylinders; a plurality of ducts in each of the cylinders connecting thetop and bottom openings of each respective cylinder, with no ductconnecting the top opening of a cylinder to the bottom openingpositioned directly below it; a plurality of channels in the base, oneend of each channel underlying a respective hole in the bottom of thehousing; and a playing element adapted to be dropped through any one ofthe top housing holes after the cylinders have been rotated and indexedwhereby the discharge of the playing element into one of the underlyingchannels is dependent upon its gravity travel through the ducts of thecylinders as chance indexed with respect to each other.
 2. A playingelement drop chance selecting device as claimed in claim 1, wherein theplaying element is a ball.
 3. A playing element drop chance selectingdevice as claimed in claim 1, wherein the index means for each cylindercomprises a friction stop indexing unit in operative proximity withindentations in the cylinder for stopping and aligning any of theopenings of the cylinder with any of the holes in the top of thehousing.
 4. A playing element drop chance selecting device as claimed inclaim 1, the rotatable mounting comprising a suspension alignment rodmounted in the housing, and wherein two of said cylinders are rotatablymounted on the rod in the housing.
 5. A playing element drop chanceselecting device as claimed in claim 4, wherein when the playing elementis dropped into any of the holes in the top of the housing it passesinto a duct of the upper one of the cylinders randomly indexed withrespect thereto, and through this duct into the duct of the lower one ofthe cylinders randomly indexed with respect thereto, and through theduct of the lower one of the cylinders to exit through the holetherebelow in the bottom of the housing and into its associated channelin the base.